Improvement in tops for fruit-cans



UNITED STATEs PATENT OEEIoE.

A. sTEwART, or oINcINNATI, oHIo.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOPS FOR FRIT-CANS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,502, dated October` 2, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. STEWART, of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Top for Tin Fruit-Cans; and I do hereby declaro that the-following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will lenable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, termin g part of this specification, in which- 4 Figure lis a transverse vertical section ot' y a fruit-can with my improved top applied thereto, taken on the plane of the line x w, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a similar section of the upper part of a can, showing another form of my improved top applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a plan or top View of my improved top.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondiu g parts.

This invention consists in constructing a top or cover for a tin can, such as is used for putting up fruits, preserves, and other hermetlically-sealed articles, in such manner that it can be quickly secured to the. body of the can and sealed with wax or other' suitable sealing medium, whereby many advantages are secured, as will be presently described.

A :dat piece of metal of the proper shape and size is taken, and from its center is removed a piece which is afterward used for making the bottom of the can. The rim thus left is designated in the drawings by the letter A. This rim is then spun or swaged in the form of the letter V. The top edge of the inner side ofthis V-shaped trough is then bent slightly inward, as shown at a, Fig. l, so that it will bear closely against the side of the can, as shown in said Fig. 1. .The can illustrated in this gure (l) has abead or rib, b, projecting from its outside a short distance from its top edge, and this serves the more effectually to preclude the contingency of the rim or trough A slipping downward, as is obvious.

In Fig. 2 the top edge of the inner side of the V-shaped trough is turned or spun over,

so as to form a groove all round, as shown at c in said Fig. 2, and into this groove the top edge of the can rests. This el'ectnally provides against the trough slipping down out of place. y

The cover B is made by swaging or forming a piece of the metal ot' the proper size into the shape shown in Figs. l and 2that is, it has a somewhat concave upper face, and its edge all round is turned downward, so that it will rest on the V-shaped trough A.

The rim or trough A having been applied to the cau in the manner shown and the cover or cap placed thereon, the wax or other sealing medium is pressed or poured into the trough, when it will be found that the can is hermetically sealed.

It is designed in making the cans to usc the circular pieces cut out of the top for the botl tom, which is secured to the sides in the usual way. This mode of construction leaves an entirely open top, and inasmuch as the cans must necessarily taper from the top downward say, about half an inchthey can be packed one within the other for transportation; and this, let me remark, is a very important item, as it is often necessary to transport the cans a great distance from where they are manut'ac tured. Many other advantages are gained by having the topopen. The tops, of course, arf'e packed separately from the cans. i

The mode of applying both the rim A to the cau-body and the cover B to the rim is very simple indeed, as can be readily understood by reference to Figs. l and 2 of the drawings. A perfectly-tight can is produced, and one that can be manufactured at a small cost.

What I claim as new, .and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

A rim or trough, A, for a metal fruit-can, constructed and applied in the manner herein shown and described.

ALEXANDER STEWART. Witnesses:

JNO. S. PowEns, ISRAEL BROWN. 

